USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York > Part 27
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ship with Mr. Frank D. Wright and Frank C. Cushing which con- tinued until his death on April 20th of that year. He was respected and held in high esteem by all who knew him; no lawyer ever practising in this county possessed in a higher degree the respect of both bench and bar; he was grandly equipped for the discharge of the duties devolving upon a member of his profession and remark- ably successful in the litigation of which he had charge; he was an acknowledged leader of the bar for many years before his death.
HUNTER, JAMES. Born in New York City in August, 1814; education, common school; read law with Stephen A. Goodwin, was admitted to the bar and formed a co-partnership with Warren T. Worden, continuing until 1854, when he removed to St. Joseph, Missouri, and there continued his practice until the breaking out of the Civil War when he enlisted and served until its close in the Union Army, holding the rank first of captain and later major. At the close of the war he returned to Missouri and served as district- attorney of Buchanan County, postmaster at St. Joseph during the administration of President Grant and collector of the port of St. Joseph during the administration of President Arthur. He later returned to Auburn and died at the home of his nephew, Mr. John L. Hunter, on November 9, 1903.
HURLBERT, HON. JOHN W., who was a representative in Congress from Maine, from 1814 to 1817, came to Auburn in 1817 and at once took high rank as a trial lawyer in criminal cases, to which his practice was largely devoted, he being retained for nearly every defendant put upon trial for crime in Central New York. He died on October 19, 1831.
HURLBUT, DANIEL L. Born in the town of Venice, Cayuga County, November 30, 1852 ; removed to the town of Genoa, and later in 1872, to Dryden, Tompkins County, where he read law with Milo Goodrich and came to Auburn with him in 1875. Ad- mitted to the bar in 1876 and commenced active practice in our city. In 1877 he formed a co-partnership with George Underwood
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Jr., which continued for five years. In 1892 he formed a co- partnership with J. Henry Kerr which continued until his death, on February 19th of that year. He was an able lawyer and his death was deeply regretted by members of the bar and his many friends throughout the state. He was a member of the Common Council-representing the third ward-in the years 1898-9.
HUSSEY, JONATHAN F., was the first lawyer practising in the village of Moravia; he was born in 1787; read law with Judge Walter Wood at Montville and was admitted to practice in 1817; he made a specialty of the titles of real property iu the southern part of the county and built up a large and very lucrative practice. He died October 9, 1852, at Utica.
KNAPP, JOHN N. Born in the town of Victory, this county, November 8, 1826; attended school in that town until 1844, when he was selected by the Board of Supervisors as one of the three pupils allotted to Cayuga County for education in the State Normal School at Albany and was the youngest member of its first class, graduating in fifteen months after entrance; he commenced reading law in Victory and continued his studies in Auburn after his grad- uation and thereafter commenced a course of study at the Albany Law School. Before finishing his course he was appointed to a position in the United States Treasury by its secretary- Honorable James Guthrie of Kentucky-which he accepted and shortly after was promoted to the position of special agent. He was admitted to the bar in 1856 and in 1860 was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention held at Charleston, South Caro- lina, where he earnestly advocated the nomination of Senator Stephen A. Douglass for president. On the commencement of the Civil War, he became a Republican in politics and was a member of the war committee appointed to raise troops in the Twenty- Fourth Congressional district and took an active part in the work. In 1863 he was appointed provost marshal in which position he rendered valuable service to the Government. At the close of the
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war he entered upon a business life and became identified with the American Express Company, of which he was a director at the time of his death; he served on the staff of Governor Dix (during his administration) with the rank of brigadier-general, from June 1, 1873 ; he was for many years a member of the Republican State Committee and at different periods its chairman and treasurer Appointed postmaster in Auburn in March, 1890, by President Harrison, but resigned before the expiration of his term and was appointed internal revenue collector upon the death of John B. Strong, which office he held until his death, December 9, 1893.
MILLER, GEORGE W. Born in the town of Cato, this county, and admitted to the bar in 1850. His entire life thereafter, was devoted to the practice of his profession in Ira Center in that town, being the only lawyer ever residing in that village.
MORGAN, HON. CHRISTOPHER. Born at Aurora, this county, June 4, 1808; commenced reading law in the office of Seneca Wood at Aurora, and finished in the offices of Judge Elijah Miller and Honorable William H. Seward, in Auburn. After his admission to the bar he practised with Ebenezer W. Arms, at Aurora, for several years; was elected a representative in Congress in 1837 and re- elected in 1839, after which he removed to Auburn and formed a partnership with Samuel Blatch ord and Clarence A. Seward; he was secretary of state from November 2, 1847 to November 4, 1851 ; mayor in 1860. He died at Auburn in 1888.
MURDOCK, GEORGE W. Born in the town of Mentz, this county, February 22, 1861 ; came to Auburn in 1888; education common school; read law with Charles F. Durston, Esq., and was admitted to the bar October 4, 1892, after which he practised in Auburn until his death on November 27, 1903.
MYERS, MICHAEL S. Born in Waterford, Saratoga County, N. Y., April 15, 1801 ; educated in the public schools of that town and at the academy at Fairfield, Herkimer County; commenced the study of law in 1816 with John Cramer, Esq., of Waterford ;
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came to Auburn in 1817, continuing his studies in the office of Lockwood & Throop; admitted to the bar in the spring of 1825; practised for a year in Auburn, then removed to Aurora and formed a partnership with Glen Cuyler, which continued until the fall of 1828, when he was elected county clerk and returned to Auburn ; served as county clerk for nine successive years; January 25, 1838, he was appointed district-attorney and served three years ; was inspector of state prisons from 1842 to 1844 ; postmaster two years, during President Polk's administration (1847-9) and during his long life held several minor offices. He remained in active practice until his death in 1884, at the advanced age of eighty-three years.
NEWGASS, LOUIS. Born at Kaiserlautern, Rhenish Bavaria, 'Germany, January 10, 1854; received a classical education in Ger- many and came to America, December 22, 1870; he learned the English language in the night schools in New York City, where he was employed for a time as the French correspondent for a large banking house; read law with J. B. Kline, Esq., in Ithaca, N. Y. and was admitted to the bar in 1880, commencing practice in Auburn the same year. In 1886, he was appointed justice of the peace, to fill a vacancy, and was elected the same year to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term of two years; he was twice re-elected for full terms of four years after which he was appointed confidential examiner in the insurance department at Albany which position he filled until his death, as the result of a railroad accident, on December 11, 1900.
O'BRIEN, JOHN W. Born at Auburn, N. Y., October 13, 1853, and received his education in the city schools, graduating with the class of 1869 and later from Hamilton College in 1873, following which he held the position of principal of the Griffith Institute at Springville, N. Y. for two years and was then employed as instructor in mathematics and ancient history in the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute for one year; he graduated from Columbia College Law
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School in 1878 and was admitted to the bar the same year, fol- lowing which he removed to and practised for about three years in Colorado during a portion of which time he was the prosecuting attorney of Lake County ; after which he came to Auburn and formed a co-partnership with Hon. Sereno E Payne which continued until his death in 1895; he held the office of city attorney for two terms and was a member of the Board of Education for three terms during two of which he was its president; he also served his college for several years as a lecturer on legal subjects.
PADDOCK, SUMNER L. Born in the City of Auburn in 1851; education, common school, graduating from the High School in 1873 ; read law in the office of James Lyon, Esq., and was admitted to the bar in 1877 in which year he was elected city clerk and served for three years. His health becoming impaired he went to Denver, Colorado, where he died on November 3, 1881. Mr. Paddock was never an active practitioner.
PARKER, HON. JOHN L. Born in Moravia, this county, March 28, 1825; educated chiefly at the Moravia Institute; read law with Jared Smith and Leonard O. Aiken in Moravia, and was admitted to the Supreme Court, July 4, 1848, and to the United States Circuit Court in 1879. In 1848, he commenced active practice in Moravia which he continued until within a year of his death which occurred on October 10, 1892; he was justice of the peace twelve years; superintendent of schools in 1851-2; president of the village in 1880; in 1863-4 engrossing clerk in the Assembly of which body he was a member in 1865-6-7 ; during his last two terms he was chair- man of the committee on railroads; for several years he held the position of agent in the special service division of the United States Pension Department. He was a respected and leading member of the bar and his death was deeply regretted by a large circle of friends.
PINGREE, JOHN T. Born at Salem, Mass., September 10, 1835; graduated from Williams College in 1856 in the same class with James A. Garfield; studied law at the Albany Law School from
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which he graduated and was admitted to the bar in 1858, commen- cing practice in Albany, but later removing to Auburn where after several years of practice he formed a partnership with Charles F. Durston and remained an active practitioner until his death on June 27, 1883. He was a courtly and polished gentleman, a brilliant trial lawyer and possessed great legal ability. He was the nominee of the Democratic party for Supreme Court justice in 1877, but was defeated by the late Charles C. Dwight by so small a majority that the result was in doubt for several days after the election.
POMEROY, HON. THEODORE M. Born in Cayuga, this county, December 31, 1824; educated at Elbridge Academy and Hamilton College, graduating from the latter in 1842; read law with Hon. William H. Seward, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Auburn in 1846; district-attorney from 1850 to 1856; member of Assembly in 1857; a member of the House of Repre- sentatives from 1861 to 1869, serving on the committee on foreign affairs and as chairman of the committee on expenditures in the Post Office Department in the Thirty-Seventh and Thirty-Eighth Congresses; on the committees on banking and currency, and unfinished business in, and as speaker of the Fortieth Congress; he was the first city clerk of Auburn, serving three years, and its mayor in 1875-6; delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1876, and served as temporary chairman ; state senator in 1878-9.
Although Mr. Pomeroy was a born orator and pre-eminently fitted and qualified to attain high rank as a trial and consulting lawyer, after his service in the Senate he devoted his time and energy to a business life, being connected for several years with, and general counsel of the American Express Company, and later with the banking house of William H. Seward & Co., of which he was a member at the time of his death, March 23, 1905.
POST, HON. GEORGE I. Born in the town of Fleming, this county, April 2, 1826; educated in the public schools of that town and Lima Seminary; read law first at his home and later with
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George Rathbun and Porter, Allen & Beardsley in Auburn; admitted to the bar in 1855 and commenced practice in Auburn the same year; alderman of the third ward in 1858-9; elected district attorney in 1859 and served three years; elected member of Assem- bly in 1862 and participated in the famous three weeks' struggle for the organization of the House during which time a tie vote of sixty- four was maintained ; at the close of his legislative term he took an active interest in the construction of railroads, being closely identi- fied with the organization and construction of the Lake Ontario & Western and the Southern Central railroads.
In 1872 he represented his district in the convention which nom- inated General Grant for presiden the second time. In 1875, he was again elected to the Assembly and re-elected in 1876, after which he again turned his attention to railroad construction, becom- ing a director of the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western Company. He died at Fair Haven in 1890.
RATHBUN, HON. GEORGE, was one of the older practitioners in the City of Auburn and the acknowledged leader of the bar of the county for many years. He enjoyed a large practice extending throughout the state; he was an able and safe counsellor, a skillful trial lawyer and uniformly successful in the litigation entrusted to his care, postmaster 1837 to 1841 ; he represented his district in Congress with marked ability and universal satisfaction; he died at the end of a long and useful life, in Auburn in 1870, honored and respected by those among whose his life had been passed.
RATHBUN, GEORGE O., a son of the Honorable George Rathbun, was one of the leading lawyers of Cayuga county for years; he was the junior partner of the firm of Wood & Rathbun which firm had a large trial practice. Mr. Rathbun was possessed of a remarkable memory which made it almost impossible to suprise him on the trial of cases and a very dangerous adversary as he was able to cite authorites from memory alone, on any legal question that might be presented. Many times the writer has verified such citations by
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reference to the authorities and never but once found him in error. He died at Auburn, December 19, 1898.
RICH, FRANK R. Born in the village of Cato, Cayuga County, N. Y., February 3, 1835; common school education; read law in the office of his father, George R. Rich, in Cato, and was admitted to the bar in 1855, in which year he commenced the practice of his profession in his native village which he continued until his death on March 26, 1883. He was never a candidate for public office, but served as United States loan commissioner for many years. He served through the Civil War, being captain in the One Hundred and Eleventh Regiment, New York State Vol- unteers, and also was a member of Cato Lodge, No. 141, Free and Accepted Masons, of which lodge he was Master for several years. Mr. Rich was a careful and very successful practitioner and attained a high standing among the members of the bar of our county. His early death caused deep regret among his many friends who had learned to love and respect him as an honest and upright man.
RICH, GEORGE R. Born in Fort Ann, Washington County, N. Y., in 1809 ; came to the town of Ira in 1834; self educated; while engaged in farming he read such law books as he could obtain and was admitted to practice in 1842. In 1840, he commenced an active clerkship in the office of Judge Humphries and was admitted to practice in all the courts in 1848; he was loan commissioner for the county for eight years commencing in 1859. After a long and successful practice he died in the village of Cato in 1889 respected and loved by all who knew him.
SEWARD, HON. CLARENCE A. Born in New York City, October 27, 1828. When seven years old both of his parents died and his distinguished uncle, Honorable William H. Seward, received him into his family in which he was brought up as one of its members. He graduated from Hobart College at Geneva, in 1848, following which he read law in the office of Morgan & Blatchford in Auburn, was
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admitted to the bar in 1850 and formed a co-partnership with Mr. Blatchford with whom after four years' practice, he removed to the City of New York and continued practice. When Mr. Blatchford was elevated to the bench, Mr. Seward became the active senior member of the law firm of Blatchford, Seward, Griswold & Da Costa, which attained high standing in the New York bar. Mr. Seward made a specialty of patent law and the law of common carriers as applied to express and railway companies and it was generally admitted that he had no superior in his chosen branch of his profession. His firm for many years had charge of important American interests in the banking houses in London and Paris and their practice extended to every state in the Union. He was judge advocate general of the state for Governors King and Morgan; lieutenant-colonel of the Nineteenth New York Volunteers; a dele- gate to the Republican National Convention in 1878, and a presi- dential elector and president of the electoral college in 1880. In 1865, after the attempt to assassinate Secretary Seward in which attempt his cousin Frederick (who was the chief assistant of his father) was severely wounded, Mr. Seward was called upon to temporarily conduct the affairs of the department which he did with signal ability having charge of many important diplomatic negotiations and affairs of state, in which his services were recog- nized as of invaluable value to the Federal government. Upon the secession of the State of Virginia and while many of its citizens were considering withdrawing, forming a separate state and joining the Union freed from other alliances, Mr. Seward was selected to confer with them upon the subject and his efforts resulted in the formation of the loyal State of West Virginia. He died at Geneva, N. Y., July 24, 1897.
SACKETT, GARY V. Born August 9, 1790 at Thetford, Orange County, Vermont. In the early part of the year 1800 his father removed with his family to Cayuga County settling upon a farm a few miles east of the present village of Cayuga; self educated; in
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1812, he commenced the study of law in the office of Thomas Mumford, Esq., in Cayuga, was admitted to the bar and practised a short time in this county when he removed to Seneca Falls, Seneca County and formed a law partnership with Luther F. Stevens which continued until 1826 at which time Mr. Sackett ceased active practice and thereafter devoted his time and energy to a business life in which he was very successful, accumulating a large fortune. He died at Seneca Falls.
SEWARD, HON. WILLIAM H. Born at Florida, Orange County, N. Y., May 16, 1801 ; educated at and graduated from the academy at Goshen and Union College at Schenectady; read law one year in Goshen then entered the office of John Anthon of New York City, and finished his studies with Ogden Hoffman at Goshen; admitted to the bar at Utica, N. Y., in 1822 after which he formed a partnership with the Honorable Elisha Miller-then county judge -and commenced the practice of his profession in Auburn on January 21, 1823 ; elected state senator in 1830. In 1834 he was an unsuccessful candidate for governor, being defeated by William L. Marcy, but in 1838 he was elected over the same competitor and re- elected in 1840; in 1849, he was appointed United States senator and filled the office for twelve years; he was a prominent candidate for president at the Republican Convention of 1860, receiving one hundred and eighty-four votes on the second ballot, but was defeated by Lincoln on the next ballot, who in the organization of his cabinet made Mr. Seward secretary of state, which position he held during both Lincoln, and Johnson's administrations. At the close of his official duties he made a fourteen months' tour of the world, visiting Japan, China, the Eastern Archipelago, British India, Egypt, Palestine and the principal nations of Europe. He died at his home in Auburn on October 10, 1872. The inscription "He was faithful" upon his monument is the realization of the wish he expressed in his argument to the jury in the celebrated trial of the negro Freeman for murder, in the following language:
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"In due time, gentlemen of the jury, when I shall have paid the debt of nature, my remains will rest here in your midst, with those of my kindred and neighbors. It is very possible that they may be unhonored, neglected, spurned. But perhaps, years hence, when the passion and excitement which now agitate this community shall have passed away, some wandering stranger, some lone exile, some Indian, some negro, may erect over them an humble stone and thereon this epitaph-'He was faithful.'"' His reputation was international and his public life commanded the attention and respect of the civilized world. In the opinion of the writer he was the greatest statesman this republic has ever produced; his services were invaluable to his country, and his memory will be cherished by Americans to the end of time.
SHURTLEFF, ASAPH W. Born in Hatley Stanstead, near Que- bec, Canada, April 22, 1833 ; self educated; came to Red Creek, Wayne County, in 1850; read law with Solomon Giles in Weedsport, from July, 1853 to January, 1858, at which time he was admitted to the bar in Auburn and commenced practice in Weedsport as a partner of Mr. Giles. One year later he went to Kentucky, where he remained until the commencement of the Civil War, when he returned to this state and on April 28, 1861, enlisted in Company H, Nineteenth New York Volunteers for three months; discharged from the service because of disability on October II, 1861, he returned to Weedsport and resumed the practice of law and shortly thereafter went to New York City where he remained for ten years, resuming practice in Weedsport in 1873 which he continued until his death, September 6, 1907. He served as president of the village several times and was for many years a member of its Board of Education and Academic Board.
SITTSER, CALVIN N. Born in the City of Auburn, May 18, 1819; common school education; read law with Clark & Underwood in Auburn and was admitted to the bar in 1845; continued with that firm until its dissolution in 1852 when he formed a co-partnership
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with George Rathbun, continuing until the death of the latter after which Mr. Sittser practised alone until his death, March 16, 1893. He limited his practice to office work and the preparation for trial of cases in which he was the attorney. In his many years of practice he never tried a case in courts of record, always employing counsel to conduct the trial. His ability in his limited sphere of legal work was conceded by his brother members of the bar, and he commanded the respect of those of his fellow citizens who knew him. Until his death he wore-as he once told the writer-the proper clothing of a solicitor of law of the old school- a swallow-tail coat with gold buttons, and a high silk hat which made him a conspicuous figure on the streets of the city, easily identified by strangers in search of him.
SMITH, JARED M. Born March 17, 1815; graduated at Hamilton College, the valedictorian of his class; read law in the office of Honorable Millard Fillmore in Buffalo; admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Moravia in September, 1842, which he continued until his death, May 23, 1846.
SMITH, RICHARD L., came to Auburn from Washington County, N. Y., in 1820 and formed a partnership with James Porter; mem- ber of assembly in 1830 and 1836; appointed district-attorney, January 21, 1832, and served until 1838, in which year he died.
STEEL, RICHARD C. Born in the City of Auburn, October 29, 1837 ; on completing his studies in the common schools, he entered and graduated from Union College. Admitted to the bar in 1861, commenced practice in that year in Auburn; elected district- attorney in 1862 ; served one term, was re-elected and served until March, 1866, when he resigned. He was supervisor in 1868-9-70. Mr. Steel was an active practitioner from the time of his admission until his death on November 28, 1886. He was a lawyer of con- ceded ability and one of the leaders of the bar. He was for many years the attorney and consulting counsel of several of the leading
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corporations of our city and in the conduct of their litigation was uniformly successful.
STEPHENS, NELSON T. Born at Genoa, Cayuga County, Novem- ber 20, 1820; education, common school; read law with Leonard O. Aiken in Moravia, and was admitted to practice in the Court of Common Pleas in 1844, and to the Supreme Court in 1846. In 1852 he went to California and a year later returned to Moravia and practised in that village and the villages of Genoa and Milan for several years; he enlisted and served as captain in the Civil War, after which he practised in Auburn for a short time and then removed to Kansas and was elected judge of the Supreme Court of that state, which high office he satisfactorily discharged the duties of until his death.
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